Docs flag need for awareness about elderly care as SRS data points to ageing India

The share of individuals aged 60 rose to 9.7 per cent in 2023, according to the SRS data

- MPOST BUREAU

A recent study on senior citizens has found that 27 per cent of responders suffered from dementia, 20 per cent from depression, while 40 per cent had bonerelated issues, thereby underlining the need for awareness about proper elderly care.

The finding shared on the eve of the International Day of Older Persons assumes significance amid the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) report for 2023 showing a rise in the elderly population in India.

The share of individuals aged 60 rose to 9.7 per cent in 2023, according to the SRS data

The study conducted on 300 elderly people by Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research in Delhi also showed that 40 per cent had musclerelated problems while 15 per cent were at high risk of falling.

The study led by Harjit Singh Bhatti, consultant in Geriatric Medicine at Sitaram Bhartia, was conducted over eight months, between January and August this year.